Rocco, John (2011). Blackout. New York, NY: Disney. On a normal summer night in the city, everyone is preoccupied with their usual activities, that is, until the lights go out. With no power or access to their typical activities, a family is able to spend some quality time together. What a nice change this is, because not everyone likes normal. Picture Book, JMM.
Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the beautiful illustrations, similar to a comic book display, and the placing of the text to coincide with what was happening on that particular page. For example, when the characters were going up to the rooftop, the words followed the same pattern, working their way up the page. I was able to connect with this story because often times, my family is busy doing different things. I always enjoy times when the power goes out and everyday activities are shut down. It allows for some quality bonding time, which is definitely worth more than any toy or gadget.
Classroom Applications: This book creates an opportunity for students to work on a creative writing piece. As this book is geared more towards elementary students, these children can set up their creative story using the “power of the panel.” Their story lines can be segmented into different sections with a picture that corresponds to the idea of that box. On the bottom, students will be asked to write a full and complete sentence to explain the overall gist of each page. This project allows students to have fun with their stories and get creative, but does expect them to summarize using complete sentences.